


Guidance of the Sheikah

by Aurya



Series: A Breath of Wilderness [5]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Female Link, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-26
Updated: 2018-06-02
Packaged: 2019-05-13 13:38:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14749892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aurya/pseuds/Aurya
Summary: Only the greatest of fools would set off on a journey without knowing what they seek to do.





	1. Seeking Out Impa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Funny, I spent all my time worrying about the Pack 2 DLC because it's advertised as story and I'm not sure if it'll interfere with my plans for this series. Then it comes out, and it doesn't interfere with my plans for the main game, instead it completely decimates my -first- entry in this series. Or at least the last chapter of it.
> 
> Alright, as I mentioned in the notes for Silent Awakening, I'm going to do A Breath of Wilderness in a lot of small parts. Most of the Main Quests are going to be written so they could have happened in any order, but I am going to be doing The Hero's Sword last which means no Master Sword vs. Blights. And, I'm going to have Link's default attire be Hylian Hood, Champion's Tunic, Hylian Trousers, so this one consequently happens first. Also, no DLC story will be implemented in this series, though I MAY use the Champions' Ballad to influence the Divine Beast chapters. Finally, I will be playing this game alongside the writing of these stories, and my challenge run declares no amiibo.
> 
> So help me, if Draco's got a delivery on the way, I'm blocking him for a week.
> 
> Link's equipment inventory at the start of this chapter [currently equipped]:  
> -Torch  
> -[Traveler's Sword]  
> -Traveler's Sword  
> -Soldier's Broadsword  
> -Traveler's Claymore  
> -Iron Sledgehammer  
> -Woodcutter's Axe  
> -Traveler's Spear  
> -[Traveler's Bow]  
> -Soldier's Bow  
> -[Arrow ×15]  
> -Fire Arrow ×20  
> -Ice Arrow ×5  
> -[Traveler's Shield]  
> -[Well-Worn Trousers]  
> -[Old Shirt]  
> -Warm Doublet

Link touched down on Hyrule Kingdom.

It felt strange to think of the Great Plateau, which sat in the center of the land, as  _outside_ of that land; yet it was an isolated place that would require incomparable stamina to ascend traditionally, and it would seem King Rhoam had gone a hundred years unnoticed on that plateau. And now, with the King 's paraglider, she had arrived in Hyrule - a land she had left a century ago.

And of which she knew naught.

A large Moblin stood not far from her landing; the moment her grip left the paraglider, it vanished in a shimmer of light courtesy of the Sheikah Slate. On seeing the blin hoist a weighty Boko Bat, she decided against close combat; she seized her bow in one hand and drew an arrow tipped with a crimson curl in the other, took aim at the approaching monster's head, and let loose.

The shot connected, and then promptly burst into flame.

Link promptly drew another fire arrow, circling the small, ruined brickwork nearby as it recoiled. As soon as it was standing upright again, she fired again, striking the blin in the head; this shot connected hard enough to throw the monster off its feet, knocking its bat from its hands and by the time it lay upon the ground Link had already drawn a third arrow. The Moblin never rose; the third shot struck it while it was still prone, and it gave a death roar before going still.

Its body faded to black, and then burst into smoke.

A sigh emerged as Link slung her bow across her back once more; then she gazed towards the Dueling Peaks. It was nearly an hour past noon; she hoped to at least get past those towering twin mountains before the sun set and Stalfos began to rise. She'd had enough trouble with Stalkoblins - she wasn't eager to see what would plague the night down here. The ruins around her looked like they'd been a outpost, and a few Guardian corpses told her what kind of fate they'd met while she'd been sleeping. Travelling through was mostly uneventful, but she did hear what sounded like a Bokoblin scuffling around behind one wall; there was an extended gap between two former buildings that implied that there had been two outposts rather than one.

A few Moblins were prowling the second's ruins, though only one noticed her enough to require her blade; and two red Bokoblins carrying farming tools lay in wait behind a standalone wall, along with a blue one carrying a rusted sword. Standalone fire arrows kept the blue one occupied and took out the reds; dodging sword swings didn't help her much when her own sword shattered before the remainder fell. She quickly seized the Sheikah Slate, balancing it on the fingers of one hand as her thumb moved on its surface.

Another sword appeared on her back before the Bokoblin was on its feet again; she slung the slate onto her belt, drew the weapon, and struck it down.

Uncertain, she picked up the fallen weapon as the monster vanished. Time had taken a toll on its blade, and she wouldn't put Rupees on it lasting long enough to take out a Moblin; yet its edge was still sharp nonetheless. Deciding it would be better than nothing, she drew her Sheikah Slate and touched it to the weapon, causing it to vanish in a flash of light; then she started towards the peaks again.

Her attention was drawn by a shrine, just around a hill.

* * *

She ended up getting through the valley between the peaks shortly  _after_  moonrise, though thankfully the only Stalfos she ran into were familiar. A tower, a shrine, and a pack of Bokoblins on the other side of the river had caught her eye, but she decided against looking into those until morning; a pair of Lizalfos in the water had already cost her most of her stock of Ice Arrows. When she emerged from the valley, the sight of a stable was a welcome one - a place to rest - and the view of another shrine told her this would be an easy trip if she needed come back.

By some reflex - which had somehow survived a hundred years of sleep - Link didn't go to the counter on the outside of the stable, instead making her way in. It was then that she realized there was one thing she hadn't picked up on the Plateau that she was urgently going to need: money. She didn't have a Rupee to her name right now, and she was willing to bet that the unrefined ambers that she'd found under a few poorly-placed rocks weren't legal tender in Hyrule.

For a moment, she thought she saw a large insect standing in the corner. Then she realized it was a backpack - on the back of a man who didn't look like he had the muscle to carry it if he were to stand up. The backpack had a canopy that hung above the man's head, and around his neck was a rope tied to a solid board that was lying across his legs. Hoping that he looked like a sales stand because he was a merchant, Link stepped up to him. "Um, hello."

The man looked up to her. "Hey!" he greeted. "I don't believe I've made your acquaintance!"

"I won't contradict," Link admitted.

"The name's Beedle," he introduced, "but you can call me..." He paused. "Actually, let's just stick with Beedle. But even if you forget my face, you can remember me by my beetle backpack. Despite these dangerous times, you'll find me travelling all over Hyrule to fulfill your shopping needs. I stock many special bugs and must-have items for travelers, and I always charge a fair price - or my name's not Beedle!" Then, before Link could admit to the emptiness of her pockets; "I also buy all sorts of things, if you're in need of rupees. Gemstones in particular fetch a high price!"

"Gemstones?" One hand hooked idly on her Sheikah Slate, and her fingers danced surreptitiously across its surface as she reached into her pocket; an amber materialized in her grip, and she raised it. "Don't suppose ambers count?"

"They most definitely do!" Beedle assured her. "I'll take it!"

A few minutes later, Link was ninety Rupees (and ten arrows) richer, and she stepped up to the counter to request a bed.

* * *

The shrine outside the stable was ringed with wooden spikes like someone - or some _thing_ \- didn't want people going near it, but it was nothing a fire arrow couldn't fix. The riverside cliffs had some large chunks of ore sticking out; hitting them with a hammer broke them into gems that told Link she wouldn't be going broke  _too_ quickly, and shards of flint to tell her not to be so quick to exhaust her fire arrows next time. The riverside shrine contained a curious fold of cloth that seemed to be woven with Sheikah technology; her Slate seemed to recognize it, revealing it was meant to be worn around the head.

The image it shared implied it was meant to be worn by men, or at least women who wore their hair short. Link resorted to folding it into a strip and tying it around her forehead.

It served its purpose all the same when she reached the tower; her body seemed to tire less when she started climbing, making the ascent easier. When she reached the top and set her Sheikah Slate into the pedestal, the tower was lit with a blue glow, and the travel gate lit up. The region data was distilled, expanding her map; the purview of the tower extended from the eastern edge of the Great Plateau to the Dueling Peaks, and then a good distance east and north; Link was willing to bet she would reach Kakariko Village before she left the boundary of the new map.

**Region map confirmed. Sheikah Slate updated. Additional functionality detected.**

"Additional what?" Link was not expecting this. She didn't get the chance to look at it before the pedestal segmented again, offering back her slate.

**Sheikah Sensor now operational.**

Link decided she would inspect about this when she got to Kakariko. For now, she didn't want to waste any more time; she hooked the Slate on her hip, then turned and leapt from the tower.

Her hands were raised above her, and when she made to close her grip, the paraglider manifested in it.

* * *

Before she even reached any sign of a village, Link had made a firm decision to wrangle a horse when she next passed the Dueling Peaks. The sun was well on its way down, and though that might be blamed on her trip to the tower before she continued towards Kakariko, the way her legs were burning could not.

A light tone emerged from her Sheikah Slate; she came to a halt and seized it from her belt, only to find no indicator of what it was supposed to have been. Confused, she started down the path again, making to hook the slate again, only for the same tone to emerge. Glancing at the slate revealed a series of rings nested within one another, lit up with blue; when she stopped moving, the rings dimmed, one by one, before the screen blanked. Keeping her eye on the slate this time, she continued forward, and sure enough, the tone triggered again.

 _Whatever it's doing that for, that's distracting,_ Link observed, coming to a halt as she tapped the surface of the Slate. A few experimental taps around her rune list revealed that "Sheikah Sensor" was something she could turn off; this time, when she started moving, there was no noise.

Not long after, she found an indicator she was getting close - a large wooden archway, nestled in the canyon. Hanging from it were two flags; one had a triangle sitting above two lines, which she didn't recognize. The other she did; an eye, with three triangles above it and a tear hanging down, was the same emblem as was on her Slate. Another archway a short distance later had the same flags; not ten steps later, she could see what they were heralding.

Kakariko Village was nestled in a valley in the middle of nowhere, so it seemed. The path from the Dueling Peaks put a traveler on a high rise that overlooked the entire village; Link could see fields, several shops, and a waterfall basin over which a house had been built. As she started down the path, she saw someone there - an elderly-looking woman, fallen to her knees.

"Miss, are you alright?"

Her call brought the woman to raise her gaze. "Traveler!" she greeted. "I'm sorry, but I seem to have twisted my ankle." With a quiet murmur of "let's see here" she managed to get to her feet, taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry you had to see me like that."

Link shook her head. "It's no worry."

The woman didn't seem to realize her distracted. "Say, traveler... Where did you get that... object hanging from your waist?"

It was plain from her expression what she was talking about. "Well... you see..."

"I do see," the woman interrupted. "That Sheikah Slate is a symbol. It means you are the hero of legend. Though there are few who know of such legends anymore... But we Sheikah have been waiting for you for a very long time. Please - before all else, I must insist that you meet with our leader, Lady Impa."

"That's... actually why I'm here," Link admitted. "Could you tell me where she is?"

The woman nodded, turning towards the village. "Lady Impa's house is below Lantern Falls - just over there."

"Thank you."

She started down the village, taking in the surroundings. The Sheikah seemed to have a dress code of sorts - bright clothes that provided freedom of movement, with several of the adults wearing wide hats. Combined with the tribe's natural white hair and red eyes, it was a blessing that the villagers had such distinct figures; Link feared she'd never be able to tell a pair of Sheikah twins apart. A pair of young girls dashed past her as she made her way down the hill; not far from the house she was directed to was what seemed to be a tailors, with a young lady outside who seemed to be people-watching. Her destination towered a bit above the rest of the buildings, and at the base of the steps leading to it, two men stood, seeming to be on guard.

"You there!" the narrower of them proclaimed when she neared. "Who are you?! How dare you trespass upon Lady Impa's abode!" Link was about to speak when his attention was drawn to the item hanging at her hip. "Is that... a Sheikah Slate? But that would mean you are..." He exchanged glances with his fellow. "No, it's not possible. Can it be?"

Link elected not to speak.

Their postures relaxed, and the broader of the two spoke up. "Please forgive us for behaving so rudely," he begged. "Of course we have heard the legends form Lady Impa herself. Please, friend... Go ahead and step inside."

They cleared the path; aware of their gaze on her as she did, Link started up the steps and towards the entrance to the house. There was a deck built around the home, and someone seemed to be cleaning it on all fours; a girl who looked her age. As her steps made the landing, her gaze shot up; her face seemed to be painted with the Sheikah emblem, and she quickly abandoned her cloth as she stood. "A Hylian," she murmured. "H-Hello... Ah!"

Link was starting to get used to people's attention being derailed by her guiding tool.

"Is that... It's... a Sheikah Slate!" Her gaze went to Link. "Could you be the hero my grandmother told me about? L-L... Link?"

"Yes, that's my name," Link confirmed. "And yours?"

"I'm P-Pa... My name is Paya," she replied. "M-My grandmother's been awaiting your return, since I was little. P-Please hurry inside."

With a quiet nod, Link stepped towards the doors and made to push them wide.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't exactly have a completion record with this series, but I have NEVER seen a bandanna in Hyrule. I don't know how the description for the Climber's Bandanna got away with saying "It may look like a regular bandanna".
> 
> Also, if you'll forgive me for saying so, "I'm bad with speaking" sounds like a bullshit excuse for Paya simply being nervous around men.
> 
> Did a bit of punking around with the Master Cycle Zero prior to writing this fic.  
> -Riding through the Thyphlo Ruins: There was this PC racing game when I was younger where you drove a monster truck. You could alter the weather effects at will, and one of the settings was "pitch black", where everything that wasn't in the beam of your headlights didn't seem to exist. That's what that felt like.  
> -Riding through the Lost Woods: Thank the goddess I wrote out the path. Apparently, you're SUPPOSED to find the way by the embers of a torch in your hands after the doubles, but this thing goes too fast to change your course in time if you try and follow it that way.  
> -Riding from the Thyphlo Ruins to the Lost Woods: Finally found something the Divine Beast can do that a horse can't. This thing has way better traction on the side of Death Mountain than Epona does. Not that it saved it from falling a couple times, but that doesn't send you to the Horse God for a revival.  
> -Riding from Akkala Ancient Tech Lab to Hateno Ancient Tech Lab: Took a shortcut across the Lanayru Wetlands, otherwise followed the map-marked path. Two and a half tanks. They should've made the shrines refuel stations. Make it gas up when you sit on the travel gate.  
> -Mounted combat, heavy weapon: I feel like Cloud Strife. I certainly don't FIGHT like Cloud Strife, it is so awkward to hit the Y button while you're holding the A button.  
> -Mounted combat, long weapon: Still awkward, but spears are made for horseback so it's a LITTLE bit easier to take an enemy down that way.  
> -Mounted combat, archery: NEVER DO THIS. Moving the camera at throttle is awkward enough. Moving the camera at throttle WHILE HOLDING AN ARROW required unpleasant finger contortions.  
> -Getting hit by lightning: I had the Thunder Helm on. Horses throw you after every bolt, and they die after five strikes. The Master Cycle Zero didn't even react. When I got hit at full throttle, I thought the lightning had MISSED.  
> -Impact landings: Zero Jumping off the Great Plateau in the direction of Aquame Lake and hitting the ground dematerialized the Divine Beast. Zero Jumping off the Great Plateau in the direction of Aquame Lake, being dismounted mid-fall, and hitting the ground did NOT. Hmm.  
> -Long-distance coasting: You can do Selmie's entire expert course on an empty tank and then roll far enough to trigger the name for the Sturnida Secret Hot Spring. Bicycles are pretty impressive coasting machines.  
> -Vs. Dark Beast Ganon: GET A HORSE.


	2. Hateno Ancient Tech

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know why, but the Xenoblade Chronicles 2 quest really irks me. Like, the 'hunt the red shooting stars' idea is cool, I'm not displeased about that part. But the whole crossover collaboration thing just doesn't sit right with me. I think Xenoblade is responsible for the dissatisfaction. The Salvager series just doesn't FIT, and either (a) it's completely useless or (b) it totally undermines the Zora series.
> 
> So, if last chapter's ending didn't clue you in, I'm not going to be totally covering EVERYTHING in the main game. There will be huge chunks of travelogue being excluded, certain expository ramble is not going to be written out, and I'm not doing the post-final memory scene.
> 
> Link's equipment inventory at the start of this chapter [currently equipped]:  
> -Torch  
> -[Traveler's Sword]  
> -Soldier's Broadsword  
> -Eightfold Blade  
> -Guardian Sword  
> -Iron Sledgehammer  
> -Traveler's Claymore  
> -Soldier's Claymore  
> -[Traveler's Bow]  
> -Soldier's Bow  
> -[Arrow ×38]  
> -Fire Arrow ×13  
> -Ice Arrow ×1  
> -[Traveler's Shield]  
> -Shield of the Mind's Eye  
> -[Hylian Hood]  
> -Climber's Bandanna  
> -[Hylian Tunic]  
> -Warm Doublet  
> -[Hylian Trousers]

_"Free the four Divine Beasts, and let the spirits of our friends rest peacefully."_

Zelda had left those words to Impa one hundred years ago, trusting that when the Hylian Champion awoke, Impa would pass them on to her. Now - having discovered a shrine resting at the top of the village, spent the night in Kakariko to rest, and acquired some proper travelling garb - Link made her way down towards the Dueling Peaks once again, intent on finding a steed. Impa had advised her to go to Hateno Village, seeking out those who would be able to help her restore what the Sheikah Slate had lost over a hundred years, but Link had no intentions of travelling to the eastern edge - let alone all across Hyrule - on foot.

As she neared Kakariko Bridge, she found a man waving to her from the side of the road. "Hey, traveler!" As she turned to him; "I can tell you've trained your body well... I'd say you're familiar with both sword and bow, correct? That's a good skill set." Link had no experience to prove him wrong, and reasoned he had simply deduced that much from the weapons on her back.

"Why don't you join the Yiga Clan?"

Link's gaze went narrow at that.  _Yiga Clan..._ something about that name made her wary. Had she some experience with this group in the past? "What's the Yiga Clan?"

The traveler seemed surprised. "What? You don't know?" He scoffed. "Fine. I'll tell you. The Yiga Clan... It's a powerful, brave group of warriors, founded by Master Kohga..."

He reached behind him, drawing a sharpened sickle... with a crimson stain on its inside edge.

"...and dedicated to defeating a hero thought long dead."

A crimson light danced around him as Link stepped back; papers marked with twisted sigils seemed to gather around the traveler, and then burst apart to reveal he had changed. His body was wrapped in tight-fitting garb of a deep, dark red, and black hair was tied in a bun behind him. His face was guarded by a mask - a white mask, with a crimson pattern like the Sheikah eye... but with its tear facing upward, and the sickle was seized in a backhand grip.

" **I will take your life!** "

Link quickly drew her sword as the assassin leapt back, flipping through the air before connecting with the ground; then he charged forward, weapon raised with intent to bring it across and cut her down. She promptly braced her shield before her, and as the killer's weapon neared her, she swung it forward to meet the blow - hard enough to kill the momentum of his swing and cut his dash short. Her sword moved forward, slashing at him once, twice, thrice; on the fourth swing he hopped back, and red sigils appeared in the air around him before he vanished in a flurry of darkened papers.

In only an instant did Link hear the descent from above her; she stepped aside and twisted into a spin, striking at the assassin not long after he hit the ground. He leapt away, twisting in the air and hitting the ground running once again; this time, Link responded to his swing by leaping away for herself, and as the strike passed beneath her she moved her own weapon. One, two, four, six blows - the seventh struck her opponent's arm hard enough to knock his weapon away, and as he stumbled away, he realized he'd been beat.

He clasped his hands together, and vanished in a flurry of papers, leaving behind what seemed to be sixty-five Rupees in change.

With a sigh, Link glanced at her sword; it was on its last legs, and she elected to toss it to the ground and approach the assassin's fallen weapon. The sickle looked unpleasantly like it was designed to cut someone's throat, sharpened on both edges and incredibly lightweight. With an uncertain sigh, she brought it down towards her Sheikah Slate, causing it to vanish; then, reasoning she wouldn't be running into Bokoblins while she was trying to wrangle a horse, she started across the bridge with just her shield and her bow.

* * *

Five hours later, a most impatient Link was riding across Necluda on the first horse she'd been able to mount - a red stallion whom she had dubbed "Lancer". The stablehands had geared him up with a saddle and bridle, and though he was a bit disagreeable at first, she reckoned he'd warm to her in time. He wasn't the fastest mount (though how she was so sure of that escaped her), but he was still faster at a canter than she had been at a run.

Ruined Guardians were scattered on the Blatchery Plain; it wasn't long before Link found herself riding up to a great, fortified  _wall_ that extended across the path, with only an open gate to let someone on the plain enter the forest on the other side. A man was looking over the wall as though fascinated by it, and as Link rode through, he waved a hand to greet her. "Hiya! Come to see Fort Hateno, I take it?"

Link shrugged, pulling back lightly on Lancer's reins to slow him. "Can't say I  _didn't_ ," she admitted, assuming that he was referring to the wall; it was just a stop on her path, but it was an impressive sight nonetheless.

"Figured as much," the man admitted. "It's well worth seeing! Fort Hateno here was the last line of defense between Hateno Village and the awful tragedy all those years ago. Everyone's gotta come and pay their respects at least once in life, right? Do you know the story of the warrior who fought here?"

"No, I don't think I do," Link replied.

The man had a look in his eyes like this was a story he'd been itching to tell, but couldn't out of how well-known it was. "So, 100 years ago, we had these special warriors called Champions. The warrior who fought here was supposedly one of them. I heard the others all died in the big fight. The warrior, though... Some say he gave his life here too." He shook his head. "But others think he... went into a deep sleep to prepare to fight another day."

Those words resonated with Link; she turned her gaze back through the gate, to the plain bestrewn with the corpses of autonomous soldiers.  _It couldn't be... I couldn't have taken all those myself. I wouldn't be here if I did. It couldn't have been me._

_...Could it?_

* * *

The next day - two and a half hours before noon - Link arrived at Hateno Village.

The journey had taken a claymore, a torch, a bow, and five fire arrows, though she had the eastern edge exposed on her map to make up for it. As she neared the village, she saw what seemed to be a watchman with a pitchfork in hand, who seemed startled by her approach; bringing Lancer to a stop, she dismounted him and gave him a light stroke before approaching.

"Who are you?!" the watchman demanded. "Be on your way, you... suspicious woman!"

"Suspicious?" Link was wondering what he was going on about before she remembered that she was wearing a hood. The outfit she had picked up in Kakariko - the 'Hylian series' - was designed as all-purpose attire, and though the hood had been a blessing atop the tower (winds get a lot stronger higher up), it didn't give the best of first impressions; she quickly drew the hood back to bare her face. "I'm a traveler."

"Hmm?" The watchman's stance faltered. "You certainly do appear to be Hylian like the rest of us," he admitted. "Hylians are generally good folk, so..."

Link blinked. "What do you mean,  _Hylians_ are generally good folk?"

"Sorry for getting all worked up," the man insisted. "You're free to go. We're just a waypoint on your winding road, huh? Ah, the life of a traveler."

Deciding not to engage in further conversation with this man, Link started into the village. A light tone from her Sheikah Slate drew her attention; the Sheikah Sensor was going off. With a quiet hum, she lifted it off her belt and held it out as she continued in, looking for the shrine it was picking up and listening for which direction the resonation was strongest in.

She saw the shrine in short order; the land on which Hateno sat was uneven, and her destination was rather high in the village.

* * *

The Hateno Ancient Tech Lab was up a lengthy path that gave Link the impression it wasn't considered part of Hateno proper; it was an hour and a half past noon when she reached the top, pushing the door open with an uncertain "Hello?"

There were two Sheikah inside; Link recognized the white hair and clothing style anywhere. A bespectacled young girl stood atop a chair near a table; a metallic box was sitting upon her back, and she had what looked like a mask sitting atop her head as though she had been wearing it, lifted it aside for some purpose, and forgotten about it. At a set of bookshelves in the back was an older man, who had one book in hand and a hand raised as though he were trying to find another. Link's entrance drew both of their attention; the girl only turned back to her table as though disinterested, but the man seemed surprised to see her.

Electing to speak to the one who paid her more mind, Link started towards the man at the bookshelves. "Pardon me," she prompted, "but..."

"Hmm?" The man's interruption failed to surprise Link at this point. "Is that... That thing on your waist, is that a..." He turned up to her. "There's no mistaking it. That's a real Sheikah Slate, isn't it?! I've never actually seen one in person! If you could just show me the runes on it, I'd be most appreciative."

"Um, sure," Link mused, pulling the Slate off her belt and tapping the back to bring up the rune selection. Six squares manifested on its surface, with emblems in five of them; she turned the Slate towards the man to display them.

"Stasis... Magnesis... the Remote Bombs and Cryonis... And that's it? But... hm." He seemed confused. "Strange... It doesn't seem like you have the  _basic_ runes. I don't understand why they're missing. There must be some reason..."

Link lowered her slate, hooking it back on her belt. "I couldn't tell you," she admitted.

The man seemed to be struck by realization. "Ah, where are my manners? I nearly forgot to introduce myself. My name is Symin. You are... Link, correct?"

"You know who I am?"

"Lady Impa caught me up to speed," Symin explained. "You see, we were told,  _A young lady holding a Sheikah Slate will appear. And you must do all you can to help her. She will be the hope that awakens from the Slumber of Restoration. Her name will be Link._ " He snapped his finger. "Oh, yes. Director! Ms. Director!"

He turned to the girl at the table; Link followed his gaze and found the girl striking a pose. "Check it!"

"What?" Link glanced between Symin and the girl. "Wait, what?"

"Ms. Purah is the director of the tech lab here," Symin explained, "and Hyrule's foremost authority on ancient culture."

Link turned back to the girl, Purah, who had a smirk on her face. "Are you surprised?" she taunted. "The director of this laboratory is  _not_ Symin, it's  **me!** Snappity snap!" She snapped her fingers along with that last bit; confused, Link stepped forward as she continued. "Anywaaay, Linky! Do you remember any dreams from your time in the Slumber of Restoration? You don't look like you've changed a bit in the last 100 years, but SOMETHING must have happened in all that time!" Then, before Link could respond; "Well, no matter! I'm just happy you're still in one piece."

"I-I'm... sorry," Link stumbled, "do I... know you?"

Purah looked almost offended. "What?! Well! I'm so shocked I don't know if I'll ever recover from this! Even though, 100 years ago, I took you to the Shrine of Ressurection after Calamity Ganon fatally wounded you... Even though I was the one who put you safely into the Slumber of Restoration... Despite all that, you still don't remember me?"

Link shook her head. "I don't, no."

"Hm. As expected." Purah seized what seemed to be a writing board and a pen, writing something down. "After 100 years in the Slumber of Restoration, subject... has... lost... all... memories. Noted!" She set the board aside. "Sorry about that! Anywho, do you have any questions for me?"

"Aren't you a child?" The question was out before Link could stop it; Impa had looked reasonably like she had been waiting a 100 years, and hadn't exactly been excitable. This girl had youthful energy that made Link suspect there was a titanic prank being pulled on her.

Purah seemed to take offense. "How very rude!" she snapped. Then, to herself; "Or... perhaps its not rude at all... I suppose that's actually a rather logical conclusion to jump to. The truth is," she explained, "I look this way because of a failed experiment. Well, I  _say_ 'failed', but in some ways it was a success. I documented the full affair in my diary upstairs. **But!** " She raised a finger threateningly. "The whole thing is embarrassing, so I insist you refrain from reading it!"

"I wouldn't dream of it," Link assured her.

"Anyway, back to the topic at hand." Purah seized the arms of her glasses. "Here you are, after 100 years! Here to defeat Calamity Canon, who is growing in strength with every passing moment! And to rescue our beloved Princess Zelda! That is, if you've got the courage to try. And to help the one true hero, I, the one and only Purah, will restore the basic functions missing from the Sheikah Slate! Aand what do you say to that?"

Link nodded. "Yes, please."

"I knew you'd say that!" Purah proclaimed. "Alright, then. First I need you to run an errand for me." Then, on seeing the flicker of confusion that crossed Link's face; "What's with that look? You didn't think I'd fix your Sheikah Slate for free, did you?"

"I did not," Link insisted. "I just... kind of thought you'd want Rupees."

"I need something a little more than Rupees right now," Purah insisted. "Let me explain what this errand entails. You saw the unlit furnace on the wall just outside this laboratory? Could you please bring the blue flame from the ancient furnace in town, and use it to light our furnace?" She beckoned to a pedestal nearby, which Link had somehow missed noticing on her way in. "This sweet little Guidance Stone will start working once you do that, allowing us to restore your missing runes!

Link nodded. "Sure thing," she replied, drawing her Sheikah Slate and looking for her settings.

Then she remembered the Moblins she'd fought on the way here.

"...You got a torch I could borrow?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update on the Master Cycle Zero's fuel problem: ambers, chuchu jellies, wood, and most ancient parts have the same fuel rate as flints (10 to a full tank). Star fragments, monster extract, and both types of ancient cores have the same fuel rate as fairies (5 to a full tank). Nothing else looks like it'll gas you up in less than 20 units. Draco's fully-quested save file: 52 flints, 116 ambers, 93 assorted chuchu jellies, 577 lesser ancient parts, 113 bundles of wood, 17 vials of monster extract, 14 star fragments, 32 assorted ancient cores, and 4 fairies. I can refuel the Master Cycle Zero 108 times, then I've got half a tank before I start going through materials faster than the hungriest motherfricker in Hyrule.
> 
> Link's exact horse from the amiibo, artwork, and memories: brown coat, black mane, white around the hooves, and a blaze of white fur on its nose. (Sounds familiar, doesn't it, Shadow of the Colossus fans?) If you don't have a registered horse still alive when you hit the fight with Dark Beast Ganon, it is automatically registered and dropped into Hyrule Field to serve as your steed. I've also had that exact horse more times than I can count; I'm pretty sure that model is fixed to have 4★ Strength, 3★ Speed, and 4★ Stamina.
> 
> Unfortunately, I cannot find that one around Dueling Peaks this time. My current horse is a red-coat with a black mane. 2★ Strength, 2★ Speed, 2★ Stamina. Apparently, having the front half of his head alone be white is sufficient for a horse to not qualify as "all one colour", so this guy's got a Gentle temperament (but having Agro's blaze lets a horse be Wild).
> 
> UPDATE: Currently suffering technical difficulties with the WiiU. And by "technical difficulties with the WiiU", I mean " a reminder of how much more fragile discs are than cartridges". Please stand by.


	3. Return to Kakariko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you'll forgive me for indulging in the Canadian stereotype, it really bugs me that Link can ride deer and -bears-, but not moose.
> 
> Okay, I have a new disc. This is just gonna be a short chapter to provide a few small details about certain gameplay features and how I'm handling those, then this work comes to a close and I'm moving on to the next part of this series. I'm taking some slight liberties on the range of the Sheikah Sensor, purely because the Twin Memories shrines drove me crazy my first time through because it went off when I went through the valley between the Dueling Peaks.
> 
> Link's equipment inventory at the start of this chapter [currently equipped]:  
> -Soldier's Broadsword  
> -Eightfold Blade  
> -Guardian Sword  
> -Vicious Sickle  
> -Iron Sledgehammer  
> -Soldier's Claymore  
> -[Torch]  
> -[Soldier's Bow]  
> -Phrenic Bow  
> -[Traveler's Shield]  
> -Shield of the Mind's Eye  
> -[Hylian Hood]  
> -[Hylian Tunic]  
> -[Hylian Trousers]

"My, who  _is_ this beautiful young creature?"

Link resisted the urge to snicker when Purah started admiring her own picture; she quickly lowered the Sheikah Slate, and made to close the album before the director interrupted her. "Wait a moment! Let me see that!" Uncertain, Link handed her the Slate, causing her to tap at it for a moment.

"Ah, it's not a pretty girl in these pictures," she observed. "There are also some old landscape photos stored in the album." She tapped at them, curious. "I knew Princess Zelda had made frequent use of the camera feature, but this..." She snapped her fingers, handing the Slate back. "Hey, Linky! It dawns on me that you were Princess Zelda's appointed knight - which means there's a strong possibility that you accompanied her to all the places where these pictures were taken."

"I... guess?" Link glanced at the album. None of them really sparked any recollections.

"Oh, right," Purah murmured. "The 'lost memory' thing could prove troublesome..." Then, brighter; "But don't lose hope! It just means these pictures could be the missing piece to help restore your lost memories!"

Link raised her gaze. "You think?"

"If my hunch is correct," Purah insisted, "I suggest you check in with Impa. She knows more about Princess Zelda than I do."

* * *

A pair of Bokoblins shortly outside Hateno ended up smashing her torch before she realized she had it on her back rather than a sword; she took them out with their own clubs to make up for it. Already being on the road when the sun went down meant her only recourse was to ride to the Dueling Peaks Stable and take out any Stalkoblins that thought they could scare her off - which ended up breaking the only club that had survived the earlier fight. Her Sheikah Slate said it was midnight on the hour when she arrived; she stabled Lancer, handed the guy at the counter her Rupees, and called it a night.

Any intentions of going straight to Kakariko the next morning were cut short when her Sheikah Sensor started going off on her way out of the stable. The end result was that she spent the entire day climbing, walking, breaking ore, and otherwise being resourceful; once again, she was at the stable at midnight, requesting a bed.

It was raining something fierce the next morning, but Link was not to be deterred; she mounted Lancer and rode north, intent on making it to Kakariko this time. The weather hadn't let up when she arrived; electing not to barge into Impa's home amidst the storm and give her (or Paya) a fright, Link instead approached the Goddess Statue in the center of town.

Without a word, she bowed her head, and clasped her hands before her.

A light ringing, as though a glass had been struck for a chime; a silent question from the goddess.

Link's hands separated, and her right seized the leather bracelet upon her left arm, drawing it off. Upon her forearm were burned five hearts. Three of them had been there when she had awoken in the Shrine of Resurrection; another had appeared after she had offered up the treasure from the four shrines atop the Great Plateau, and another when last she had been in Kakariko Village.

And now, a sixth appeared on her arm, seeming just as aged as the others.

The rain was starting to fade out, now; she turned and made her way towards Impa's abode, intending to speak to the elder about the Sheikah Slate's album.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: if you don't have the Sheikah Sensor when you get to Hateno Ancient Tech, Purah's Guidance Stone will add it just the same as any of the towers.
> 
> So, you automatically dismount the Master Cycle Zero if you fall far enough. The same way you automatically dismount if your horse goes into a fall, except there's some leeway because of the Zero Jump function. I think going off the Great Plateau in the direction of Aquame Lake is -just- far enough that you dismount a few frames before you can land. The Divine Beast can tank the fall, and you can make that drop and land in the saddle. I think the problem is that it lands with a slight bounce to it, and you can't mount it in free-fall, so the failsafe is dematerializing the Divine Beast and making you hurt the landing.
> 
> Also, I tried to fight the Silver Lynel in the Coliseum Ruins. Yes, from the Divine Beast. I think this is in the running for my stupidest idea ever. I should try a Lynel out the open.


End file.
